


Slow Love

by pastperfect (bluemoonrabbit)



Category: Monsta X (Band)
Genre: Adventure Time AU, Adventures, Fluff and Humor, Friends to Lovers, M/M, Mutual Pining, Prince Gumball!Hoseok, Soft & hopeful contemplations of immortality, Tasteful use of zalgo text, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, marshall lee!changkyun, mentions of the other members
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-30
Updated: 2019-10-30
Packaged: 2021-01-13 22:49:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,528
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21238226
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bluemoonrabbit/pseuds/pastperfect
Summary: Prince Hoseok just wants to stay calm and collected — he kind of has to, since he has a whole Candy Kingdom to run. Things are easier said than done when Changkyun the Vampire King is back in town, making his heart go haywire again just like he used to.The Wonkyun Adventure Time AU we all deserve.





	Slow Love

**Author's Note:**

> I've been told that you don't need to have watched Adventure Time to enjoy the fic, so please enjoy! In case you can't read the Zalgo text, it's in the end notes plain and boneless.

Hoseok glances at his wristwatch, watching the second hand tick around and around its mother-of-pearl face. He itches to fidget with something, but the ring he usually toys with when he’s nervous is gone. Lost. Maybe even stolen. 

He feels its absence acutely, even when he’s not looking at the finger it used to adorn. 

As he paces around the drawing room, the sound of his impatient footsteps bouncing off the candy marble floors, time drags by like molasses in winter. Waiting makes him anxious, especially because he’s about to ask a rather outrageous favour from the friends he’s waiting for and he’s starting to feel bad for it. But he’s already called them over and it’s rather too late to say _ sorry guys, never mind! _

Besides, his friends have assured him many times over that it’s okay to ask for help. 

“Prince Hoseok,” a voice intones quietly. “Would you like another cup of tea?”

Hoseok pauses his pacing and turns to his butler. Mister Son stands stiffly a few paces from him, his tall, broad frame clad in his customary navy tailcoat and red bow tie. A silver tray sits balanced perfectly on one hand, with a cup of tea steaming temptingly in its centre. Lady Grey, by the floral scent. Knowing his butler’s meticulousness, it’s probably already sweetened with honey from the hives Tree Trunks keeps in her orchard.

“Thank you,” Hoseok sighs. He crosses over and takes the proffered tea, saucer and all, and takes a small sip. It’s still piping hot, but the taste calms him. “How long until they get here?”

Mister Son pulls a pocket watch from out of nowhere and flicks open its red and white peppermint-striped cover. “You called Jooheon the Hero and Minhyuk the Dog twenty minutes ago. I daresay they will be here in ten minutes.”

Hoseok frowns slightly at ‘Minhyuk the Dog.’ He’s sure it would be more accurate to call him ‘Minhyuk the Shapeshifter,’ but it’s probably Mister Son’s subtle way of poking fun at him.

“Ah, okay. That’s not too—”

“Boo,” a deep voice rumbles from above.

Hoseok screams and drops his teacup, shattering it on the floor with a tinkering crash. 

“Changkyun!” he exclaims, clutching his chest and feeling the racing pulse of his candy heart under his palm. It’s fine; it’s only beating rapidly because he just had the daylights scared out of him by Changkyun the Vampire King, that’s all. No other reason. Absolutely not because said vampire king is his best friend and the object of his enduring affections.

He glances down at the damp porcelain shards at his feet and sighs with regret. Another teacup lost to his clumsiness.

Changkyun’s disembodied chuckles circle around the air above Hoseok’s head, their owner still invisible. Jutting his lower lip out in annoyance, Hoseok crosses his arms and looks upward, waiting for him to make himself seen. Slowly Changkyun bleeds into visibility, floating leisurely between the floor and the high, vaulted ceiling. His plaid flannel shirt dangles off his slim frame and sways as he drifts through the air. Hoseok spies a pair of sunglasses hooked to the neck of his shirt.

He flips over to grin boyishly at Hoseok, handsome cheeks dimpling with mirth. Having spent so much time with Jooheon and Minhyuk, both as mortal as they come, Hoseok reels slightly at how Changkyun’s apparent youth and mischievous demeanour are completely at odds with his actual age and prestigious lineage.

“Hey,” Changkyun chirps. Beside Hoseok, Mister Son sniffs disapprovingly at his casual address, but Hoseok ignores it. He and Changkyun have known each other for centuries, and to say that formalities are far behind them is an understatement.

“Hey,” Hoseok echoes. Changkyun descends in graceful spirals until he hovers eye-to-eye with him, boot-clad toes barely grazing the floor. “It’s been awhile. Why the sudden visit?” he asks, leading them over to a cluster of chairs away from the open window. Although his pulse is significantly calmer now, it still thrums with excitement at the sight of Changkyun. 

“No reason,” says Changkyun simply. “I just wanted to see you, that’s all.”

Hoseok’s heart flips with joy.

“Is that okay?” Changkyun peers at him hesitantly. 

“Yeah, of course,” Hoseok smiles. _ More than okay, _ he wants to add.

Mister Son reappears with more tea, and blood-red apples for Changkyun. Hoseok watches Changkyun thank the butler, then raise one to his mouth, draining the red colour out of the fruit. Being able to consume colour seems to be a unique quirk of Changkyun’s, although in the past he has assured Hoseok that he could just as easily drink blood for sustenance. Today, like always, he appears content to drink the red out of the apples, sighing in satisfaction just like he used to.

“It’s good to see you again,” Hoseok blurts, and immediately cringes on the inside at how awkward he is. It’s only been a couple of weeks since he last saw Changkyun, but he knows his heart is still making up for the many decades they spent apart until just last year.

_ Have some composure, _ he scolds himself. _ You’re the ruler of Candy Kingdom, for Glob’s sake _

Luckily Changkyun doesn’t notice his awkwardness, or if he does he pays it no mind. 

“It’s good to see you too,” he says, dimples blossoming on his cheeks with joy. “I wanted to call you while I was in the Nightosphere. Too bad there wasn’t any reception down there or I would’ve.”

“In the Nightosphere, visiting Hunson — uh, your dad?” asks Hoseok, recalling that Changkyun had been thinking of visiting his father, the ruler of the demon dimension. 

Changkyun nods with a grin. “I’ll tell you more about it later. You’re waiting for Jooheon and—” he suppresses a laugh “—Minhyuk the Dog?”

“Yeah,” says Hoseok, taking a teacup and holding it securely lest he drop it again. “I wanted to ask them for help with something.”

“Those two could use a quest to keep them busy,” Changkyun muses.

“It’s more of a favour,” says Hoseok with a half-smile.

“What’s the favour?” asks Changkyun. “Maybe I can help.”

“I lost something,” says Hoseok. Hesitation squirms uncomfortably in his chest. The ring is so very personal to him, and even though Changkyun is his best friend, he feels reluctant to share. But Changkyun’s eyes are patient and unjudging as he waits for Hoseok to elaborate. Hoseok sighs. “A ring.”

Changkyun tilts his head.

“It’s very valuable,” Hoseok elaborates. _ To me, _ he adds silently. He was beside himself with grief last week when he went to take it off but realized it was missing.

“Okay,” says Changkyun. “What does it look like?”

Hoseok chews his lip. He’s hesitant to tell Changkyun about the ring’s appearance because then Changkyun might guess what it means to him, and he’s far from ready to broach that topic yet. He mulls over his options. There’s a good chance Changkyun might not be able to guess, but he’s managed to keep his secret closely guarded for the past century. What’s another few more?

“That’s classified information,” Hoseok fibs. “You don’t have the clearance.”

Changkyun rolls his eyes. “Does it have your name engraved on it?”

“Yes.” Hoseok’s okay with revealing that bit of information, because all of the jewellery he has commissioned from Candy Kingdom’s most skilled goldsmith bear his name in discreet places.

“That’ll make it easier to look for, in case anyone picked it up,” Changkyun muses. He takes another apple and drinks the red out of it, leaving the fruit on the tray with its now colourless skin punctured by his teeth. 

Hoseok sighs miserably.

Changkyun coos and leans over to poke Hoseok’s cheek, making him smile again despite his grey mood. “Don’t worry, Hoseokkie, we’ll find you your ring.”

The doors open with a bang, and they turn to see Jooheon and Minhyuk strut in, panting as though they ran here. They stop before Hoseok and Changkyun, doubled over and wheezing.

“Jooheon the Human and Minhyuk the Dog have arrived,” Mister Son announces solemnly.

“Quit callin’ me that,” Minhyuk — in his very human form — whines. “I shifted into a dog _ once _ and now that’s all I am to you?”

“That was your first mistake, Min,” says Jooheon, tucking stray strands of hair back into his hat, then pulling the little bear ears atop it straight. Minhyuk sulks but lets it go. 

Jooheon sinks chivalrously to one knee. “How can we help you, Prince Hoseok?”

Hoseok gestures towards the other chairs. “Please sit. I’m so glad you’re here.”

“I need to ask you for a favour,” he says once they’re seated. “I lost a ring and I’d like your help finding it.”

“What does it look like?” Minhyuk asks, pulling the plate of pastries that Mister Son sets on the coffee table closer to him.

“That’s classified,” says Hoseok again. The lie slips more smoothly off his tongue now that he’s repeating it, but he still senses Changkyun eyeing him dubiously. “But it has my name engraved inside the band.”

Jooheon nods in understanding. “When did you realize you lost it? Let’s retrace your steps.”

“It was missing by the time I got back from Fire Kingdom last week,” sighs Hoseok. “I was visiting Prince Hyungwon on a diplomatic trip. Either I lost it there or somewhere on the way back.”

Minhyuk’s crumb-dusted face turns sly as he elbows Jooheon in the ribs. Jooheon whines and swats him away, but there’s no mistaking the pink that tinges his cheeks.

“Looks like we’ll have to pay Prince Hyungwon a visit, huh,” Minhyuk teases. 

The blush on Jooheon’s cheeks grows deeper. “Yeah, I guess we’ll have to.”

“You’d do this for me?” Hoseok asks, touched by their eagerness.

They both nod and smile.

“Thank you both so much,” Hoseok says, relieved. Given their apparent excitement at the chance to visit the Fire Kingdom (and its handsome, elegant prince), he feels better about roping them into looking for something he clumsily lost. “You’re such great friends. I don’t know how to repay you.”

“Knowing we made a friend happy is enough,” says Jooheon. Minhyuk nods, but the smirk on his face doesn’t vanish. When they return — hopefully with his lost ring — Hoseok will have to ask them how their meeting with Hyungwon the Flame Prince went.

“Yes, what he said,” says Minhyuk, grinning widely as he springs to his feet. “Well, not a moment to lose! We’re off to Flame Kingdom, then!”

Jooheon follows a touch more sluggishly, but there’s an unmistakable eagerness to his shy smile.

“Safe travels,” says Hoseok, rising to his feet. Beside him Changkyun floats up from his chair, waving at Jooheon and Minhyuk as they exit.

“Well,” says Changkyun after a brief silence, “I’m gonna head off too. Let’s hang out next time you’re free.”

“I’m free today, though” says Hoseok, perplexed. He can’t help but sulk as Changkyun floats away from the chairs, tugging a compact, sunproof poncho out of his pocket. “I thought you were free today too.”

“I was,” says Changkyun simply. He shakes out the poncho and drapes it over his shoulders, pulling the hood over his fluffy black hair. “But now I’ve thought of something I need to do.”

“Where are you going, then?” Hoseok asks, pouting.

Changkyun pauses his actions. “I think I might know where your ring is.”

“Really?” Hoseok exclaims. “How?”

“It’s just an educated guess—”

“Mister Son, please fetch my expedition pack for me—”

“Whoa whoa,” says Changkyun, holding his palms up. “I didn’t say you could come along.”

“Why not?” Hoseok demands mulishly.

“Not telling,” says Changkyun, tugging on the strings of his hood.

Hoseok squints. “It’s someplace dangerous, isn’t it?”

“... Maybe.”

“Changkyun…” Hoseok sighs.

“It’s not _ that _ dangerous,” Changkyun pouts. “I’ll go and be back in the evening safe and sound, and you can have your ring back.”

“If it’s not that dangerous, then I can come along,” Hoseok points out triumphantly. 

“It’s not that dangerous for _ me,” _ Changkyun clarifies. “But it’s no place for your Candy Prince self.”

“Have you _ seen _ me?” Hoseok argues, gesturing down his body. Today he’s wearing a thick, cozy pink hoodie and track pants, but they do nothing to hide his strength and athleticism. “Either I go with you or I handcuff us together and we visit Breakfast Kingdom for bottomless brunch.”

His cheeks flood with heat the moment the inadvertent innuendo leaves his mouth. He thanks Glob for the zillionth time that no matter how flushed his cheeks become they’ll never match the bright pink of his hair. Hopefully Changkyun won’t notice his blushing because of it.

Changkyun eyes him shrewdly before finally relenting. “Fine, but we’re eating a proper meal first.”

After a moment, he adds pensively, “It’ll be just like old times.”

“Yeah,” Hoseok agrees with a small smile. Changkyun returns it immediately, sending zings of joy dancing through his heart.

* * *

“Are you okay to fly over there?” asks Changkyun when the last of the red fruit on his plate has been drained of colour. 

“Of course,” says Hoseok, dabbing a crumb from his lips. His own plate of waffles too has been thoroughly scraped clean. “Do you want to choose which plane we take? The engineers just finished a tiny one that runs on syrup.”

“I was hoping _ I _ could fly us over,” says Changkyun. “There’s nowhere to park a plane there, and even if there were, the shady folks in that neck of the woods would ravage it for parts and sell them faster than my dad can steal my fries.”

“Ah.” Flying, but not by plane. That might pose a problem for Hoseok’s fear of heights. “It’s too far to — uh — bike, isn’t it.”

Changkyun smiles wryly and nods.

“No chance you’ll tell me where we’re going?” Hoseok asks, pouting.

“Nope,” Changkyun dimples. “You’ll find out when we get there. So can I piggyback you? Just like we used to?”

Flying. On Changkyun’s back. Thousands of feet above the ground. With only the strength of his own limbs to keep them securely attached together. Suddenly Hoseok wonders if getting his ring back is worth the trouble, but Changkyun is smiling encouragingly at him while waiting for his response. 

“Okay,” Hoseok squeaks, and almost regrets it immediately. One day Candy Kingdom will fall and it’ll all be because he can’t say no to those eyes.

Changkyun’s expression softens. “I won’t drop you.”

Hoseok swallows and nods. “I know.”

Changkyun’s smile widens; his now exposed, razor-sharp fangs do nothing to diminish his adorableness. He eagerly pushes his chair back and drifts up into the air. Although Hoseok is still dubious that the chance to find his ring is worth enduring his fear of heights, a part of him is leaping at the opportunity to spend time with Changkyun.

“Then let’s get going.”

While Changkyun dons his sunproof poncho, gloves, and sunglasses, Hoseok unzips his expedition pack to check the contents. Rope, water, rations, various gadgets from the engineers, and a first aid kit he hopes they won’t have to use. He straps a dagger to his calf (just in case) and swaps his fancy watch for a digital one loaded with a myriad of functions.

“Okay, get your bubblegum butt over here.” 

Hoseok looks up and sees Changkyun waiting just outside the balcony door. Changkyun does a few shallow squats, shaking out his limbs like a champion deadlifter before attempting to break a record. Facing his back to Hoseok, he peers expectantly at him over his shoulder.

Hoseok inhales and drags his feet over to Changkyun. In the warm safety of the kitchen, the prospect of flying wasn’t too daunting, but now that they’re on the balcony, exposed to the wide, crisp blue sky, his stomach feels a wad of taffy being pulled over and over by a confectioner. They’ve flown like this before — many times, in fact — and he remembers it had been alright back then. But it had been far too ago and the nerves are now back in full force. 

His nervousness must show, for Changkyun turns around again and takes Hoseok’s cheeks in his hands. If the vampire king couldn’t see his blush before, he must be able to feel it now, and that thought alone makes Hoseok’s cheeks burn hotter.

“You know, I don’t really _ need _ to have the ring back,” Hoseok rambles, feeling his cheeks move against the soothing press of Changkyun’s palms. “It’s not a matter of Candy Kingdom’s security or anything.”

“You’d be happy to have it back, wouldn’t you?” asks Changkyun.

He would. Even though it’s childish and maybe even a bit selfish, Hoseok wants it back. He has lived a long, long life, and although it’s been largely a joyful one, there had been decades when he felt like the loneliest person in all of Ooo. His beloved ring had been there through those years, sitting on his right ring finger like a friend reminding him that if happy days existed, they can surely return.

“Yeah,” he whispers. He imagines it now, with its simple gold band and even simpler stones set in it, somewhere far away — maybe in the clutches of someone who will never know how much it means to him. His heart aches.

Changkyun rubs his thumb against Hoseok’s cheek, then floats up a few inches to plant a soft kiss on Hoseok’s brow. The small act of comfort brings a shy smile to Hoseok’s lips which Changkyun immediately mirrors.

“Then let’s go, sweetcheeks.”

“I’m a prince, you know,” Hoseok grumbles, trying to fight the smile that tugs at his lips.

Although he’s unsure what Changkyun means to convey with the pet name, he can’t help feeling warm and fuzzy over it. In all the hundreds of years they’ve known each other, Changkyun has never acted so tenderly towards him, and he’s sure his candy heart will burst like pop rocks if Changkyun keeps teasing him so affectionately.

“And I’m the Vampire King, son of the demon Lord of Evil,” Changkyun rebuts playfully. He drops his hands from Hoseok’s face (Hoseok does _ not _ regret the abrupt loss of his gentle touch), turns and crouches down for him to climb onto his back. “Let’s not waste any more daylight.”

Hoseok double-checks that his pack is strapped securely on his back, with the front strap buckled across his chest to keep it from sliding off. Tentatively he sticks his legs on either side of Changkyun’s back and wraps his arms around his neck.

Changkyun grips his thighs firmly in his hands. “Hold on tight.”

Hoseok clamps his legs around Changkyun’s waist and squeezes his eyes shut, focusing on breathing slowly as they slowly float up into the air. After half a minute of slow ascent with no lateral movement, he opens one eye to peek.

They’re still hovering above the balcony, steadily rising towards the sky. In the corner of his eye, Hoseok can see Mister Son waiting by the balcony door for them to depart. No doubt Changkyun wanted to give him time to acclimate. 

“All good?” Changkyun murmurs.

“Yeah,” Hoseok sniffs. Changkyun’s back is broad and sturdy, and he smells like magic and comfort and promises kept. Even though they’re gaining altitude, he feels safe. 

(Even so, he still stoically keeps his eyes fixed to the horizon and away from the ground below.)

“Off we go, then.”

Changkyun flies in an upward spiral before turning southeast. Hoseok mentally searches the map of Ooo he keeps in his head. There’s hardly anything of note in that direction except for the Hole near the Centre of the World, the Desert Lands, and—

“The City of Thieves?!” he shouts. There’s hardly a place more lawless in all the land, and it’s just so typical of Changkyun to downplay its peril.

Changkyun’s shoulders hitch up with a wince.

“Not in my ear!” he whines. “Don’t worry, that’s not where we’re going.”

“Ah. Okay. Not worrying then.”

Hoseok chances a peek over Changkyun’s shoulder at the ground. Candy Kingdom’s many brightly coloured buildings look no bigger than gingerbread houses at this height. Strangely enough, the farther and farther up they fly, the safer he feels.

“Where are we going?”

Changkyun’s deep laugh vibrates through Hoseok’s chest. “Just enjoy the ride.”

Surprisingly it’s a nice, leisurely flight. They’re shielded from the harsh glare of the sun by thick, fleecy clouds that occasionally drift across it — a mercy for Changkyun, for strong sunlight stings his pale skin and leaves him horribly sunburnt. 

As the landscape slowly scrolls by, Hoseok finds he doesn’t feel as panic-stricken as he thought he would — largely because Changkyun deliberately flies slower than he usually does, omitting the fancy aerial tricks he so loves. 

They soar over Tree Trunks’ orchard — they’re too far up for Hoseok to see the sun-ripened red of her apples, but he recognizes it for the tidy rows in which the trees are lined up. Idly he wonders if Changkyun ever lounges in the branches on a sunny afternoon, picking off the fruit one by one to drink the delicious ruby red out of them. But as soon as he opens his mouth to ask, Changkyun has brought them past the orchard and over a thick coniferous forest, trees standing tall and proud. And later past the forest, a magnificent plain, vast like a golden sea of grass. Hoseok squints and spies a herd of antlered beasts migrating to the south in preparation for the autumn.

The (relatively) slow speed at which they fly and lack of fierce winds whipping about their ears allows them to catch up on what they’d been up to since the last time they saw each other weeks ago. Hoseok rests his cheek against Changkyun’s hair and listens to his stories about his misadventures in the Nightosphere, and when it’s his turn he tells him about projects he has in mind to improve Candy Kingdom’s infrastructure.

His heart sings with joy. He missed him dearly.

* * *

Finally they touch down at the edge of a dense, forebodingly silent forest. The lack of sound instills a creeping worry in Hoseok. Never before has he encountered a wood where he can’t hear the rustling of leaves and animals moving around in the underbrush. Were it not for the robust, hedge-like bramble obscuring any entrance into the forest, Hoseok would think the entire place was devoid of life.

That, and the fact that the sensors on his watch are going haywire. Magic is thick in the air, interfering with the electronic workings of his device.

“The Enchanted Forest, Changkyun?” he asks, raising his eyebrows. “Totally not that dangerous!”

“It’s not, though,” says Changkyun mulishly. Hoseok hears him add under his voice, “At last not for me.”

Hoseok steps right up to the thick hedge and tries to peer between its branches. They betray nothing of what’s on the other side, and they don’t yield when he tugs on them either. When he presses his ear close, he still hears nothing but silence, eerie and unnatural. Nothing good dwells in a silent forest.

He turns back to Changkyun, whom he finds sniffing the plant instead of trying to look through it.

“It’s not too late to leave and get brunch, you know,” he bargains. “I still have room in my stomach—”

“C’mon, Hoseokkie,” Changkyun whines. “You’re the one who wanted to come. Where’d your sense of adventure go?”

The words dry up in Hoseok’s mouth. _ You took it with you when you left, _ he wants to say. _ It’s only just starting to come back to me now that you’re back again for good. _

“It’s right here,” he says, feeling himself grow braver and bolder. “Let’s get through this lumping bramble first.”

He pulls his dagger out of its sheath on his calf and begins sawing at the branches with the serrated edge. Thin though they are, they don’t break and they don’t budge.

“A little help here?” he pants, looking over to see Changkyun smiling at him fondly. Suddenly he feels silly. “They’re enchanted brambles, aren’t they.”

“Yeah,” Changkyun giggles, taking the dagger from his hand and resheathing it. “Brute force won’t get you through. You have to take the path of least resistance.”

“How?”

“Like this.”

Changkyun leans his back against the bramble, then takes Hoseok’s hand and pulls him closer to do the same. Confused, Hoseok lies against the plant too, squirming at the way the branches poke into his back and tickle his neck.

“How will this help us get through?” he whispers, twisting to look at Changkyun.

“Shh,” says Changkyun. His eyes are closed. “Relax your mind. You can’t fight your way through the enchantments.”

Disgruntled, Hoseok closes his eyes too and tries to relax his body, hoping his mind will soon follow. After a few seconds of breathing deeply to the rhythm of Changkyun’s breaths, the branches part and they tumble backwards through the enchanted barrier.

“Ahh, that’s better,” Changkyun sighs, taking his sunglasses off. He removes his sunproof poncho and gloves and tucks them back into his back pocket. “Nice and dark.”

“Better?” Hoseok echoes dubiously, casting his gaze around them.

He did not expect the forest floor to be so gloomy. Squinting up at the canopy, he can _ just _ make out weak shafts of sunlight made visible by dust in the air as they filter through tight gaps between the leaves. Where the forest lacks in sound, it makes up for it with an abundance of eerie plants he has never seen before. They cluster around the bases of trees with gnarled trunks so thick that he and Changkyun wouldn’t be able to surround them with their arms, even if they held hands.

Which they’re still doing.

The silence and the smell of dark magic and decaying leaves press heavily against Hoseok’s senses.

As Changkyun peers around their surroundings, sniffing the air, Hoseok shivers and focusing on the feeling of Changkyun’s hand in his own to calm his nerves. Changkyun’s hand isn’t particularly warm due to his vampiric nature, but it’s just so wonderful to hold — he tries to draw comfort from it without crushing it. The vampire king may have impressive regenerative powers, but Hoseok sometimes forgets his own strength.

Changkyun squeezes his hand back, and a moment later surprises him by lacing their fingers together. 

“This way. Let’s get your ring back,” he whispers. Hoseok nods. It seems wrong and dangerous to make too much noise. Hand in hand, they set off into the Enchanted Forest’s murky depths. 

“How did my ring get here, though?” asks Hoseok. “How do you know which way to go?”

“We’re paying a visit to Maja the Sky Witch,” Changkyun explains. “Dad mentioned overhearing her brag about picking up something that belongs to a prince while he was in Ooo sucking up souls. He gets real chatty if you keep asking him stuff. I just put two and two together. Now I’m following the scent trail her crabbit familiar left. That rabbit-crow looking creature thing.”

_ Ah, _ thinks Hoseok, huffing an angry breath. _ Maja and her crabbit. _

He knows her well, for once in a blue moon she would cook up a new scheme to attack Candy Kingdom. For what reason, Hoseok knows not. Even though her attempts have all been unsuccessful, they’ve been dangerous enough to cause significant harm to his people. He shudders to think how powerful she would be with home court advantage.

“That lumping wannabe usurper,” Hoseok grouses quietly. A tiny part of his brain, overshadowed by frustration, marvels at how nice it is that he can cuss in Changkyun’s company without worrying about his image. “What the stuff does she want with my ring?”

“Maja’s magic is fuelled by emotions,” Changkyun explains. He hops over a fallen branch. “She takes the emotional resonances from people’s belongings and turns them into pure energy. Now that I think about it, she might even use your ring to power her next attack against Candy Kingdom, so in a way it kind of is a security matter.”

“Is that so.” 

The thought of the many complicated memories and emotions tied to that ring — hope, loneliness, longing, so much longing, and love, so much love — being commoditized, weaponized against him makes his stomach turn.

The quiet crunch of dead leaves under their feet fill the silence. They keep walking, following a path known only to Changkyun. Hoseok’s thankful for Changkyun’s heightened senses, for every tree they pass looks almost identical to the last.

“If the ring means so much to you…” Changkyun begins in a small voice. “How come I’ve never seen it?”

Hoseok turns to look at Changkyun in surprise. It could be his imagination, but Changkyun looks… hurt and uncertain. Hoseok doesn’t know how to tell him that since he came back into his life, he had deliberately hidden the ring from him, leaving it in the ring dish on his bedside table whenever they met or stashing it into a secure pocket whenever Changkyun showed up out of the blue.

Anything to keep Changkyun from seeing the distinctive stones set into the band of his ring. Anything to keep him from guessing what it means to Hoseok.

There’s a pretty high probability that Changkyun doesn’t remember the day, over a hundred years ago, when he casually dropped the two crystals into his palm while they were out exploring a cave together, but Hoseok didn’t want to take the chance. His feelings are his secret to keep, and he did everything he could to guard them closely.

He opens his mouth to answer, but the words don’t come out. He doesn’t know how to soothe away Changkyun’s worries without exposing himself. Maybe one day he’ll be able to tell him why, but right now he’s just not brave enough, and traipsing through an ominous enchanted forest isn’t helping one bit.

“It’s okay, you don’t have to tell me,” Changkyun says quickly. Hoseok’s heart sinks. “You have secrets and so do I. All healthy relationships — friendships — have secrets. We respect each other’s privacy and—”

_ Crack! _

The sound of a snapping branch stops them cold in their steps.

“Was that you?” Hoseok whispers.

A crow’s shriek pierces the air, answering his question.

Twenty paces ahead, a midnight black bird screeches again from a broken tree branch, seizing their attention. Large, floppy ears — rabbit ears — unfurl from its head, spreading like wings, and Hoseok realizes with a thrill that it’s no ordinary creature. 

“It’s Maja’s lumping crabbit!” Changkyun shouts. “After it!”

The crabbit takes off with Hoseok and Changkyun hot on its scaly, taloned heels. They pursue its rapid, twisting path through the trees, with Hoseok running on foot and Changkyun darting through the air, until they chase it to a clearing.

Hoseok stops and looks around, bracing his hands on his knees while recovering his breath. The clearing is perfectly circular. It’s also completely empty but for a pond in its centre.

“Where is it,” Changkyun hisses.

“Look at the ripples,” says Hoseok, stepping up to the pond’s edge. There’s no wind, but the surface shifts with ripples radiating from the centre like something just dove in. Peering closer, they see something even more strange. “What is that?”

The ripples smooth out, returning the pond to its original glasslike state. An image begins to materialize on its surface: a reflection of a house hovering in midair above the pond. 

Hoseok quickly looks up. There’s no house in the sky to cast such a reflection. 

“She’s not called the Sky Witch for nothing,” Changkyun says wryly. “How long can you hold your breath?”

“Huh?”

Changkyun wraps his arms around Hoseok’s waist, holding him securely as he rises into the air to hover over the hidden house’s reflection.

“We’re going diving.”

“Wait—”

Abruptly Changkyun flips them over into a nosedive, letting gravity do the work to bring them downwards. Hoseok quickly holds his breath before they plunge through the pond’s surface. Cold water engulfs them and stings at his eyes, but all too soon they’re flying through the air, perfectly dry again. Hoseok briefly wonders if Changkyun did a U-turn, but upon seeing Maja’s house looming solidly above them he realizes they must be on the other side of the pond.

“Warn a guy next time,” he gasps.

“Sorry,” Changkyun laughs softly before stopping in front of the front door. “I wouldn’t bother knocking.”

“Right.” Hoseok seizes the doorknob and pushes the door open for Changkyun to fly them in. The house’s interior is just as dark as the forest they just exited, and it takes a few seconds for Hoseok’s eyes to adjust. 

“Do you think she’s home?”

Changkyun sniffs the air. “Doesn’t seem like it. I can’t smell the crabbit either. It must’ve left again to warn her.”

He makes his way over to the drawing room entrance.

“Oh man, look at all this stuff,” he says, having acclimated to the darkness faster than Hoseok. “I'm starting to think she just likes collecting trophies from the people she terrorizes.” 

Hoseok tiptoes in and squints into the drawing room. Where sunlight from the windows doesn’t reach, the space is illuminated by candles. Their flickering flames cast a feeble light over the clutter accumulated. 

A second look reveals a museum-like logic to how the objects are arranged. Hoseok makes out mundane objects like children’s toys, as well as priceless artefacts dating from before the apocalyptic Great Mushroom War that tore the planet asunder and wiped out most existing life.

“Some of this stuff is ancient,” Hoseok breathes. “How did she find all this?”

“Stole it or swindled it from innocent folk, probably,” Changkyun answers. Taking Hoseok’s hand again, he says, “Let’s find your ring before she gets back.”

They agree on a strategic method to systematically tackle the parts of the house most likely to hide Maja’s stolen stash, then carefully set out into the house’s depths with their fingers intertwined. 

Despite the looming, maybe even imminent danger, Hoseok can’t imagine navigating through Maja’s house without Changkyun’s hand in his own, a comforting touch to keep him anchored. Occasionally Changkyun rubs his thumb soothingly over Hoseok’s hand, and Hoseok wonders if the adventures they took together until about a century ago — before they drifted apart — would’ve been better with the addition of handholding.

But they were too timid back then, he muses, and far too willing to let misunderstandings fester. Maybe they needed those hundred years (give or take) apart before they felt ready for the handholding phase of their friendship. 

Subconsciously he squeezes Changkyun’s hand. Changkyun squeezes back, shooting a soft smile at him, making his poor candy heart go haywire. Maybe… maybe telling him about the ring won’t be a bad thing.

They tread up the stairs in the foyer as quietly as possible, wary of triggering any booby traps the witch may have set out. But nothing out of the ordinary happens.

“Aside from all the stuff, her house is so normal,” says Hoseok. “You’d think the layout would be different or that it’d be… witchier.”

“Maybe she stole it too,” Changkyun snickers. “She should change her title from Sky Witch to Sky Thief.”

“That was so cheesy, Kyun,” Hoseok laughs quietly.

“Cheesy?” Changkyun turns to him with mock indignation written on his face. “I am the fearsome Vampire King!”

They pass by a door; Hoseok nudges the door open to peer inside. A washroom.

“So you keep telling me, but all you do is sit in your house in the cave and write angsty songs,” Hoseok points out with a smile. “By the way, when are you going to sing for me, O Mighty Vampire King?”

“Someday,” says Changkyun shiftily. He pushes open another door. “Aha! This has to be it.”

Changkyun pulls Hoseok into the room, where with a snap of his fingers he ignites all the candles within. 

“Good Glob, it’s like a museum archive in here,” says Hoseok, looking over the many shelves lined with boxes.

“You’d think with this level of organization she’d be more successful in general,” Changkyun remarks, slipping his fingers out of Hoseok’s. He crosses over to one of the shelves. “Wow, the shelves are sorted by item type, too.”

“Let’s find my ring and get out of here ASAP,” says Hoseok with a shudder. “Who knows when she’ll be back.”

“Yeah,” says Changkyun. He returns to Hoseok, wordlessly taking his hand again as they squeeze through the shelves to find what they’re looking for. 

They stop at the far side of the room. “I think this is where she keeps the jewellery,” says Changkyun, floating upwards with his hands on his hips. “I’ll take the top shelves.”

Hoseok nods, squatting at the base of the shelf Changkyun indicates. It wouldn’t do to raise his expectations, but he can’t quell the part of him that fervently hopes his ring is among the trinkets in Maja’s stash. Fortunately, the stash is kept in astonishingly tidy order, with each piece in its own box, each box with a label affixed to its bottom informing the item and provenance. The effort to keep it that organized astounds Hoseok.

Unfortunately, the shelf stretches from wall to wall, ceiling to ceiling. He sighs, and begins systematically flipping over each cube-shaped box to read the labels, anxious to find what they’re looking for and get out.

“At least we’re not digging through piles and piles of stuff,” says Changkyun. Hoseok hums in agreement.

They continue like that for what seems like an eternity, moving from left to right along each shelf as they sift through the boxes. To Hoseok’s growing irritation, they discover a wealth of objects that must’ve been stolen from their friends and acquaintances — an ornate tie clip belonging to Changkyun’s father, Lord of the Nightosphere; a cracked wrist watch belonging to Ice King Kihyun; a ruby-encrusted cuff belonging to the late Flame Queen, which Hyungwon would certainly want. They stuff these boxes into Hoseok’s backpack, resolving to return the lost treasures to their rightful owners.

Half an hour into their search, Hoseok finds not his ring, but something else that takes him by surprise.

“Changkyun!”

“Yeah?”

“Come down!” Hoseok whisper-shouts eagerly, waving the box he just found. He flips it over to read the label aloud. “Item: silver jewelled locket belonging to Im Changkyun the Vampire King. Taken from the Vampire King’s house in the cave.”

Changkyun’s eyes widen, and a look of pure disbelief crosses his face. With shaking hands he takes the box from Hoseok. “That lumping thief.”

He flicks open the lid to pull out a silver locket studded with rubies and black diamonds, dangling on a matching chain. Tossing away the box, he carefully lifts open the locket’s cover to reveal a thumbprint-sized photograph of a beautiful human woman holding a black-haired toddler on her lap. Hoseok gasps, understanding the weight of their discovery. 

“Dad gave it to me ages ago, and I thought I lost it,” says Changkyun, voice thick with emotion. “That’s me and Mom.”

He closes the locket again, then flings his arms around Hoseok in a tight hug. “Thank you.”

Hoseok relaxes into the hug and squeezes back. “All’s well that ends well.” 

“Not yet,” Changkyun replies. He pulls away after a long, warm moment, then fastens the necklace around his neck. “We still have you left.”

“If my ring is even here,” says Hoseok. He smiles reassuringly at Changkyun. “It’s okay if we don’t find it. We found something that belongs to you already, so—”

“We’re going to find it,” says Changkyun firmly. “So shush and let’s get back to work.”

“We shouldn’t cut it too close,” says Hoseok warily. “We’ve already been here for over half an hour and who knows how long it’ll take for the crabbit to bring her back.”

“Even if she catches us, I think we’re enough to take her on,” says Changkyun cheerfully. “Worst comes to worst, I’ll just suck out her soul.”

Hoseok smiles to himself, knowing that Changkyun would do no such thing the same way he knows Changkyun would rather eat solid food, which he despises, than drink blood for sustenance. He hums in agreement and keeps searching through the boxes. They keep sorting, making idle chatter as they move along each shelf, stashing away things wrongfully taken from people they know. 

Sifting, sorting, stashing, over and over on repeat, until— 

“Hoseok!” Changkyun’s voice rings excitedly from above after a while of comfortable silence. Hoseok looks up, but suddenly— 

_ Bang! _

His heart jolts; he snaps his head towards the source of the sound.

A green-skinned woman stands in the doorway, eyes aflame with anger so potent that it sends chills down Hoseok’s spine. Her tattered brown cloak billows behind her on a supernatural breeze.

Maja the Sky Witch.

They got too comfortable, and now they’ve been discovered.

“I̲͝n͋͜t̲̔ṙ̙û̖d͎͛e̺͝r̦̐s͔̈́!” 

Her voice echoes unnaturally around the room, reverberating as though spoken by a thousand unseen entities at once. It makes the hairs on the back of Hoseok’s neck prick up.

“Ẉ̄ȟ̗a̜̕t̹̋ ̦͂a͔͝r̟̽ë̯́ ̲̔y̳͝o͈̎ȕͅ ͉̽d̙͆o͍̅i̘͠n̙̎ǧ̗ ͈̆i͔̔n̙̽ ̬̎h̪͠ẻ̤r͙e̻͊?” she shrieks. 

Hoseok instinctively shoots his hand to the dagger on his calf, drawing her attention. When her eyes fall on his backpack, bulging with boxes, she emits an unearthly cry of rage. The magical wind in the room picks up to whip at their faces and clothes and only then does Hoseok snap out of it. Quickly he zips up his pack and slips it on, buckling the sternum strap across his chest.

“Changkyun,” he shouts urgently, eyeing the blue sparks of electricity now dancing on her fingertips as she points at them.

“Ţ̾h̹͐i̲͑e͆v͙̏e̫̐s̥͝!” 

Maja lets loose a lightning bolt that lands on the floor scant inches away from him, searing the wooden surface and leaving a smoking, black mark. Hoseok rolls out of the way of the next bolt she fires, and is promptly scooped up at the waist by Changkyun.

“You’re the thief!” Changkyun snarks, wheeling in the space above her, darting up and down to dodge her attacks while Hoseok scans the room for another exit.

“The window!” he hisses, looking around for something to break the glass with. He points at a brass candlestick and Changkyun swoops by to grab it.

“H̯͑o͛w̲ d̘͋a̻̓r̺͠ę͐ ̃y͈͌o͚͘u̼!” Maja screams, rising off her feet into the air.

“Oh, stuff,” Changkyun curses. “She can fly too. Time to cut this short.”

“Bye, witch!” shouts Hoseok. “We won’t play nice next time you cross us!”

Changkyun flies one last circle around Maja, sticking his tongue out to taunt her. “Brace yourself, sweetcheeks” is the only warning Hoseok gets before Changkyun hurls the candlestick at the window, smashing the glass, and barrels out into the open air. 

_ “C̫̾o̤̍m̭̓e̬͝ ̎b̠͆a̘c̜͐k̺̎ ͛h̟͆ę͆r͓͝ẽ͇!” _

Maja’s screams echo through the air as they hurtle towards the water below. The last thing they see before they plunge through the water’s surface is an explosion of blue light bursting from every opening of her house.

They hold their breaths and fight to reach the other side of the pond. When at last they break through the water’s surface on the other side, Changkyun lifts them to the edge of the clearing where the dense trees cast shade over the grass, cursing all the way.

“Just let me put my poncho back on,” he mutters, tugging the garment out of his pocket and over his head. “Lumping sunshine.”

“Yeah,” Hoseok pants, bracing his hands on his knees. “Is she following us?”

“Probably,” says Changkyun. He flicks his hair out of his eyes and grins devilishly at Hoseok. “You okay with flying fast?”

Hoseok blinks. Adrenaline is still humming in his blood, making him feel like he can take on anything, even flying at great heights at whatever speed Changkyun wants to go. He smiles. “Bring it on, Vampire King.”

“Then hop on.”

Rather than taking them back through the forest, Changkyun opts to rise vertically through the clearing, flying over the deathly silent trees. And not too soon, too, for the moment they exit the clearing, the crabbit’s call pierces through the air, followed by Maja’s eerie, reverberating voice. Hoseok tightens his hold and Changkyun takes off, laughing joyfully as he accelerates. Maja’s frustrated yells fade to nothing as she futilely chases them, unable to keep up with Changkyun’s speed.

When they’re finally clear of the Enchanted Forest, Changkyun slows down. 

“Was that okay?” he asks. His voice is so gentle, so tender, and it fills Hoseok with indescribable comfort, even though they’re cruising at an altitude of two thousand feet. 

“Yeah,” he sighs happily. They didn’t manage to find his ring, but for the first time since finding it missing he has finally accepted that it’s lost, maybe even gone for good. He knows he’ll still miss it; there are too many memories and emotions tied to it for him not to.

But as he holds Changkyun tightly, trusting him to fly them to safety, he realizes the ring’s loss is a small price to pay for the precious time they got to spend together today. He’d rather have the man the ring symbolizes here with him than the ring itself, anyway.

“What time is it?” Changkyun asks, pulling him out of his reverie.

Hoseok cranes his neck over Changkyun’s shoulder to check the time, glad to see that they’re far enough away from the Enchanted Forest’s magical interference for his watch to start working again.

“Roughly six,” he replies. “Why?”

“A surprise,” Changkyun says simply. “What time do you need to be home?”

“I don’t have a curfew,” Hoseok replies with a smile, wondering what Changkyun has in mind. “I’m kind of my own boss, you know.”

Changkyun laughs, and Hoseok falls a little bit deeper. “The perks of self-employment.”

Hoseok smiles, nuzzling his cheek into his best friend’s hair, hanging on tighter as Changkyun accelerates towards the west.

* * *

When they land on the Lost Cliffs, the sky is painted a brilliant, fiery pink, a sight so magnificent that it fills Hoseok with indescribable awe. This is what Changkyun wanted to show him.

“It’s so beautiful,” he breathes, unable to take his eyes away from the thin line where the sky meets the sea. The ocean breeze whips gently at his face, tousling his hair into disarray. Finally he tears his eyes away to see Changkyun smiling at him. “Thank you for showing me this.”

Changkyun pulls his poncho off and lays it on the grass, silently inviting Hoseok to sit with a pat on the covered ground. Hoseok sits, and, remembering seeing a blanket in the backpack Mister Son packed for him, pulls it out and drapes it over their shoulders to ward off the oncoming evening chill. Changkyun tucks himself against Hoseok’s side with no hesitation, enveloping him with his scent.

“I used to come here all the time. The sunset’s the same colour as your hair,” Changkyun murmurs, reaching up to brush it away from Hoseok’s eyes. Butterflies stir in Hoseok’s chest.

“I guess it is,” Hoseok whispers, transfixed by the adoring way Changkyun looks at him.

“I have one more thing for you,” says Changkyun. 

“Oh?” Hoseok’s heart beats like a hummingbird’s wings against his ribcage as he watches Changkyun pull a box out of his pocket. Changkyun opens the box and—

—stops. His eyes widen, staring at the ring within in disbelief. His hand shakes as he takes it out, takes Hoseok’s right hand in his own and slides it onto his ring finger.

Hoseok’s heart skips a beat.

The gold band hugs his finger perfectly, and the simply cut rose quartz and obsidian crystals are exactly how he remembers them: glittering humbly in their settings, balanced in perfect harmony with each other. A symbolic representation of how he and Changkyun used to be — before they drifted apart. 

“It’s us,” Changkyun breathes, and Hoseok immediately knows they’re thinking of the same day, the day in the cave, the day that never left Hoseok even though it passed over a century ago.

_ “Look, it’s us,” said Changkyun, cheerfully indicating how the rough, grimy stones he just dropped into Hoseok’s palm match their hair colour. _

_ “Huh,” said Hoseok. Changkyun grinned at him. _

_ While Changkyun moved to examine a different corner of the cave that glittered with stalactites, Hoseok stared at the two crystals in his palm, turning them over and over while his heart beat giddily. _

_ “Hoseok! Check this out!” _

_ Hoseok slipped the stones into his pocket and jogged ahead to join him. _

Changkyun rubs his thumb over the back of Hoseok’s hand. “You kept those crystals,” he whispers, his voice hushed with disbelief. “After all these years. They’re barely worth anything but — you even had them made into a ring.”

“You remember,” says Hoseok, equally awed.

“How could I forget?” Changkyun replies shyly. “Those were some of the happiest days of my life.”

A hot tear trickles down Hoseok’s cheek. His heart aches but paradoxically feels lighter than air at the same time. Not only does Changkyun remember, his reaction was one of reverence and fondness. That has to mean something, doesn’t it?

“I had the ring made the day I realized I drove you away,” Hoseok confesses in a rush, feeling emboldened by the soft light in Changkyun’s eyes. “I didn’t know whether you’d ever come back and — it felt like the only thing I had to remember you by.”

But now Changkyun is back, back for good, holding his hand and staring at him so fondly that Hoseok feels like his aching, swelling heart could lift him into the candy-pink sunset sky.

“It’s not your fault, Hoseokkie,” says Changkyun, thumbing away his tears. His hand doesn’t leave Hoseok’s cheek. “You were worried about your kingdom, and I had some growing up to do.” His voice hitches. “I’m sorry. I should’ve tried harder to understand you instead of being jealous of your people.”

“I’m sorry too, Changkyun,” says Hoseok quietly. “I missed you every day.”

“I’m here now,” Changkyun smiles at him, and Hoseok realizes with a pang in his heart that there are tears in his eyes too. “You don’t have to miss me anymore.”

Hoseok’s chest feels too tight, too small for the joy welling up inside him. He sniffs and blinks back his tears.

“I was really happy today when you insisted on coming,” says Changkyun. His hand drops from Hoseok’s cheek to play with Hoseok’s fingers. “We spent a whole century apart and people change and — I didn’t know if you’d still want to muck around with me like we used to.”

“I stopped mucking around after you left,” says Hoseok. On the horizon, the sun is just starting to submerge itself into the water. “It wasn’t fun without you.”

Changkyun stares at Hoseok, and Hoseok knows the significance of what he said isn’t lost on him. His beating heart is finally laid bare for Changkyun to see now. All the secrets he’s kept hidden away inside it are out in the open, and he knows it’s time to voice his dearest one aloud. He threads his fingers through Changkyun’s.

“Changkyun, I—”

“I love you,” Changkyun blurts. Hoseok’s heart stops. “I loved you then and I love you now.”

Changkyun… loves him. 

Feels the same way about him. 

Stole the words right out of his mouth.

“Flying with you today, holding your hand, sitting here with you — I haven’t been this happy in forever,” says Changkyun earnestly. “I thought spending time apart would cool me down and I could come back and focus on being a better friend to you instead of a crazy jealous dingbat but — I’m even crazier for you now than I was back then, and maybe I’m really crazy but I think you might like me too—”

A smile spreads across Hoseok’s lips. His heart feels so full at the sight of Changkyun — cool, collected Changkyun — flustered and shy and enamoured because of _ him. _

“If I read you wrong just forget I said anything and I’ll go back to my cave for the next thousand years and write more angsty songs—”

Ah, he really can’t handle it, the way his heart is bursting at the seams with love and adoration. He launches himself at Changkyun, tackling him in a tight hug, making him wheeze comically until he loosens his hold.

“Hoseok—”

“I love you too,” says Hoseok, burying his face into Changkyun’s neck, breathing in that smell of magic and comfort. “I can barely remember what it was like to not be in love with you.”

Changkyun’s hands hesitantly crawl up his back, patting it robotically like he still can’t believe Hoseok is there in his arms professing his centuries-long love for him. After a few stunned moments, Hoseok feels a kiss being dropped on his head, feels a cheek nuzzling against his hair, and knows there’s no need for words now, only a need to hold each other close and let their embrace do the talking.

As the last sliver of the golden yellow sun slips below the line of the horizon, Changkyun gently turns Hoseok’s face towards his, stroking his cheek with his thumb, eyes tender with adoration. Hoseok smiles and nods. They’ve been wishing and waiting for this moment forever. 

He leans in, meeting their lips together in a slowly melting kiss.

It feels like home.

* * *

Neither of them are keeping track of the time, but when the comfortable silence between them is finally broken, they’re still cuddled against each other under Hoseok’s blanket. The brisk ocean breeze continues to try to worm its way to their skin, but they have each other to ward off its cold, prying fingers. Above them, the moon waltzes across a star-studded, velvet-black sky.

A thought drops into Hoseok’s head.

“Oh Glob,” he says.

“Hmm?” Changkyun hums.

“Jooheon and Minhyuk are still on their way to Fire Kingdom,” says Hoseok. He shifts, and Changkyun lifts his head off Hoseok’s shoulder. “I should call them and tell them—”

Changkyun giggles. “Just let them be. It’s a good excuse for them to visit the Flame Prince.”

“Huh.” Hoseok shifts back in place. “I guess that’s true.”

“Mhmm.” Changkyun rests his head back onto his shoulder. “I’m cold.”

Hoseok shifts again and gathers Changkyun onto his lap, wrapping the blanket more tightly around them. “We should think about heading back soon.”

“Don’t wanna leave,” Changkyun mumbles into his neck. “Don’t you have a tent and sleeping bags in your backpack?”

A vague memory of a camping trip they once took long long long ago drifts to the forefront of Hoseok’s mind. He chuckles. “I don’t.”

Changkyun lets out a noise of discontent.

“But I have a bed that’s big enough for the both of us,” says Hoseok, petting his back.

Changkyun stiffens. “Bed?” he croaks abruptly.

Hoseok smiles. “Y’know, rectangular piece of furniture, made for sleeping on.”

“Shut up,” says Changkyun, hiding his face again. “You know what I’m talking about.”

His bashfulness brings quiet laughter bubbling up Hoseok’s chest. They may have known each other for centuries, and platonically shared a bed several hundreds of times, but Hoseok doesn’t want to push him if his heart and mind aren’t ready. After all, they literally have all the time in the world to let their love grow. 

_ That’s the nice thing about immortality, _ he thinks, resting his cheek on Changkyun’s fluffy black hair. _ Time is always on our side. _

Their journey to each other took many detours over many decades, but to him — and probably Changkyun too — those years weren’t wasted because they brought to both of them maturity and clarity. 

If each milestone in their relationship takes decades to reach, that’s okay too. Hoseok’s pretty sure they’re hitting all their milestones out of the normal order — but then again, what are normal milestones even? He could ask Jooheon and Minhyuk, or maybe even Hyungwon, but there’s probably no such thing as normalcy for an unageing candy prince and a deathless half-demon vampire king anyways.

His half-demon vampire king squirms in his lap, pulling his mind from his reverie. Hoseok’s heart squeezes fondly. He plants a kiss on top of Changkyun’s head.

“I really only had cuddling in mind,” he says gently. “I’ll call Mister Son and have him fix a spare bedroom for you then?”

Changkyun’s arms creep around his torso, and he sighs into Hoseok’s neck. “That’s not it. I just forgot that’s something we can do as — boyfriends? — now and it took me by surprise.”

Hoseok chuckles. “Boyfriends sounds so funny.”

“Just because you govern a whole kingdom doesn’t mean you’re exempt from being my boyfriend,” Changkyun rebuts. Hoseok can hear the pride and joy that quietly colour his voice, and it makes him smile because he feels the same, feels that same glowing feeling know they love each other and will be there for each other.

“Will you fly your boyfriend back to his kingdom so we can both get a good night’s sleep, then?” Hoseok teases.

“Yeah,” Changkyun sighs happily, nuzzling his cheek against Hoseok’s neck again. “Five more minutes.”

Hoseok falls a bit deeper. “Okay.”

Above them, the moon continues her promenade across the star-scattered sky.

**Author's Note:**

> If you made it to the end of Slow Love, thank you!!
> 
> The plot was largely inspired by the episode Sky Witch, a classic Bubbline episode that I love love love.
> 
> Big thanks to [gloomy](https://archiveofourown.org/users/gloomy/pseuds/gloomy) for sliding into my DMs to enable this piece of fluff, and to everyone who cheered me through it.
> 
> Zalgo text:  
"Intruders!"  
"What are you doing in here?"  
"Thieves!"  
"How dare you!"  
"Come back here!"


End file.
